


Squish, just like grape

by QueenofSchmoop



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Crying, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Sad, Spoilers for Cobra Kai, Spoilers for Karate Kid films, Wakes & Funerals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 13:37:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14770634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenofSchmoop/pseuds/QueenofSchmoop
Summary: In Cobra Kai we learn that Mr. Miyagi passed away in 2011. These are snapshots of that event and moments after.





	Squish, just like grape

**Author's Note:**

> Please note the warnings on this one! This is the saddest fic I have ever written. I tried to end it on a somewhat upbeat note but it's still very much a downer fic. Be warned! 
> 
> This fic is set after Karate Kid 3 but before Cobra Kai and is my own personal take on what happened to Mr. Miyagi.

Daniel LaRusso turned at the sound of his wife calling to him. He held up a hand. She held up the phone and mouthed “Mr. Miyagi”. That was the one and only person who would make him break off from a sale. He excused himself and headed over. 

“Is it about Thanksgiving? Cause I told him---“

She just held out the phone. He took it, harried and exasperated. “Mr. Miyagi,” he started to say but was interrupted. “Yes, this is Daniel LaRusso,” he said, puzzled at the woman’s voice he heard. “Who is this?” A pause. “What? When? How is he? No, no, I’m on my way. I’ll be right there.” He handed the phone back to his wife and looked right at her.

She nodded. “I’ve got this. Go.”

He nodded and hurried out, not looking at anyone as he all but ran. He jumped in his car and drove straight to the hospital. There, he was directed up to ICU. 

“Excuse me,” he asked the nurse there, “I’m looking for Mr. Miyagi?”

“Are you a relative?”

“I’m listed as his next of kin,” Daniel told her. 

She was looking at paperwork. “Oh yes, Daniel LaRusso?” 

He nodded. 

“I have it here. If you wait, the doctor will be right with you.”

“Look, lady—“

She made a face at him. “Before you yell at me, I can’t really tell you anything. So it’s best to wait for the doctor.”

He took a breath and nodded. “Right.” He went one of the chairs but was too keyed up to sit for long. He paced the room, waiting impatiently. Finally, a doctor appeared.

“Doc. How is he?”

The doctor looked very serious. “I’m afraid it doesn’t look good.”

“What? What does that mean?”

“He had a major heart attack. We’ve got him resting comfortably but—“

“What!” Daniel was furious. “Get in there and do something!”

“There’s nothing we can do,” the doc said. “It’s just a matter of time now.”

Daniel was about to explode at the man when he stopped himself. “Can I see him?”

“Yes. But be aware that he doesn’t have long.”

Nodding, Daniel followed the man into a room. Mr. Miyagi was lying in the bed, looking sickly and pale. His eyes were closed and for a moment Daniel thought he was already too late. He felt his heart leap into his chest. But then the eyes fluttered and a sound issued. The doctor said something but Daniel wasn’t listening. He crossed over and took Mr. Miyagi’s hand.

“Hey.” 

“Daniel-san.” Mr. Miyagi’s voice was barely a whisper.

“Don’t talk. You’ve got to rest. Get back to training and taking care of your bonsai trees and—“

“San,” Miyagi gasped out. 

“Sorry. I should let you rest. You need to get better. Amanda and Samantha and Anthony and I are looking forward to you coming over for Thanksgiving and Christmas and—“ He was babbling. He was babbling and he couldn’t stop. 

“San,” it came again. 

“Mr. Miyagi—“

“Son.” It came out louder and firmer this time. “You…like son to me, Daniel-san.”

Daniel stopped speaking. He felt his eyes getting wet. After a moment, he replied, “and you’re like a father to me, Mr. Miyagi.”

“Remember Okinawa?” Miyagi asked suddenly. 

“Yes.”

“When gave will? When thought was going to have to face Sato?”

“I do.”

“All go to you, except house in Okinawa. That Yukie’s.”

Recalling saying the same thing back then, Daniel said, “I don’t want the house and the pick up, I just want you!”

Miyagi let out a big breath. “Afraid not up to me. Ticker say go, I go.”

“You have to fight! You have to—“

But Mr. Miyagi’s body had seized up and he was shaking. Daniel stepped back, yelling for help. Nurses and the doctor came back in. He got out of the way, but stayed. They called things out frantically, using the heart panels. Nothing. Then, after what seemed like no time at all and an absolute eternity, the doctor called it. 

“Time of death—“

Daniel did not hear the rest. He was numb. He stood there, in the corner of the room, as they turned off the heart monitor, as his friend left this mortal world forever. He stayed stock still for a long, long moment. Then, unnoticed by anyone, he bowed with profound respect and left the room. He was halfway down the hall when it all hit him in a rush. He staggered to a nearby alcove and collapsed, feeling like he had to throw up. He was unaware of the tears streaming down his face until they splashed against his mouth. He swallowed the salty water and let them come. 

He cried in that little alcove. But, at last, he stopped. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped at his eyes. Then he stood, clapped his hands together and took some cleansing deep breaths as he moved his hands up and out. When he felt centered enough, he walked away and out of the hospital. 

 

***

The funeral was small. Mr. Miyagi had no living family, aside from the LaRussos of course. Daniel paid for the whole thing. His business had really begun taking off and he had the money to spare. His mother, his wife, his son and daughter were all with him on the day they buried Mr. Miyagi. 

Daniel had made a phone call to Kumiko, whom he still kept in contact with. She had retired from dancing and now taught dance, in the United States. She and her husband, Richard, lived in a suburb of Chicago. He had called her and told her the news, asking her if she would relay it to Yukie, who was unable to come to the funeral due to her health. Kumiko and her husband, however, had come. 

They stood with the LaRusso family as the casket was lowered. As the honor guard played and shot off the guns—which made little Anthony cry and bury his face in his mother’s shoulder. When they had handed Daniel the flag. 

She had been the one to come with him to Mr. Miyagi’s house, the next day. Amanda had volunteered to come but, somehow, it felt more…right, for it to be Kumiko. Amanda, after all, had only known Mr. Miyagi after Daniel had become a grown up. 

They walked in and began to go through possessions. Daniel had already decided he was going to keep the house, keep all the cars. He had always kept the yellow convertible, of course. Repaired after Ali had trashed it and kept it in storage. He would bring it over to the house, park it here, he thought to himself, as they went through things. 

He found the pictures and the newspaper articles that he had so long ago. He found the bonsai trees. He picked up a pair of chopsticks and smiled wanly. 

“Daniel,” Kimiko called to him. She had long ago stopped calling him “Daniel-san”.

He went to her. She was holding up a box. She opened the lid. Inside was Mr. Miyagi’s medal of Valor, still in the wood that Daniel had put it in. There was also a folded over piece of paper. He could see Mr. Miyagi’s spidery handwriting through the paper. 

He took it out and handed it to her. “I can’t.” He just couldn’t read it. He couldn’t. 

She nodded and opened it, reading aloud. 

_Daniel-san,_

_I know time running out. Have known for while. I know you grieve when I go. I remember how I grieve when my father die. Grieve, Daniel-San. But then, stop. Go on with life. With wife and children. I not stop grieve until you. Do not do what Miyagi do._

_Remember, must be one thing or the other. Or squish, just like grape._

Daniel couldn’t help it. He laughed, even as he was crying.

Kumiko didn’t get the joke but smiled anyway. She resumed—

_Never say out loud but wanted to tell you so proud of you. You were good kid. You good man. Good father. Good friend. Best friend Miyagi ever have. Even more than Sato. Time for you to fly on own. You have balance. You have training. Remember all Miyagi taught you._

Daniel closed his eyes, the tears really falling now. 

_I go now. Hope to see wife and child in Heaven. We meet again there, Daniel-san. Many years from now, Miyagi hope. Until then._

Daniel opened his eyes as Kumiko paused. He saw her expression and asked, “what?” through his tears, voice clogged. 

“There is Kanji.”

“What does it say?”

“It say ‘bow’, ‘respect’ and ‘love’.” 

Daniel let out a gaspy breath, struggling not to completely break down. Kumiko saw and went to him, wrapping him in a hug as he utterly lost it. He sobbed against her shoulder, barely aware of her speaking words of comfort. When he finally felt cried out, he stood back, embarrassed. “Sorry. I guess I owe you a dress. Kinda cried all over yours. ”

“Nonsense,” she told him. “You have lost a father figure. I know how important he was to you. Tears are natural now.”

He nodded. 

She handed him the letter and the medal. He took them solemnly, then turned and very carefully put them in a nearby drawer. These were precious and he would leave them here, in Miyagi’s home. Then he made a request of Kumiko. She thought for a moment then nodded. “Yes. I can help with that.”

***

Two nights later, his little family, including his cousin and his mother, were down by the lake. Daniel and Kumiko were both dressed in Japanese funeral robes. They all carried lanterns. Daniel put his down in the water and watched the object float out. He moved and made way for Kumiko, who was next. The rest also put them in the water. Soon a whole group of lanterns moved down the water. 

Once more, Daniel was forcibly reminded of the past. Of the elder Mr. Miyagi’s funeral. Of sitting on that rock with Mr. Miyagi after the man’s own father had died. He swiped at his eyes, feeling Amanda lean against him. He put his around her, around Samantha, and watched the lights for a long time. 

They all went back to the LaRusso house to eat and talk. Daniel barely spoke though. The next day, Kumiko and Richard were heading back to their home. He drove them to the airport. As they were calling the flight, he and Kumiko stood there, saying goodbye. 

“Call if you need anything,” she told him. 

“Same to you,” he said back. “And thanks. For everything.”

They hugged. He watched her get on the plane. After that, he thought about going home. He had taken the day off. In the end, he just drove and found himself back at Mr. Miyagi’s, which didn’t really surprise him that much, if he was honest. He wandered around the place, memories swamping him. 

As he looked at the cars, he could almost hear “wax on, wax off,” in his ears. As he stood on the guest house deck, he remembered the day Miyagi had gotten the telegram about his father. He remembered later moments, too. Going into business with Mr. Miyagi. The whole Mike Barnes thing. 

Coming here when he had met Amanda, to tell Mr. Miyagi all about her. The quiet joy in Miyagi’s face and voice when he told him that he was getting married. And even more when he asked Mr. Miyagi to be best man. The birth of Samantha. Of Anthony. Miyagi had been a part of his life all this time, since he was practically a kid. 

“How am I going to do it without you?” Daniel asked, voice choked. “Who am I going to go to for advice? Who will guide me?” He sat down at the little table and wept some more. Then he heard a noise. He got up to find it. It was coming from the dojo. 

He opened the doors and stepped in. It was coming from the main altar. He got close before he saw that something was rattling the drum there. The drum that they had brought back from Okinawa. The Miyagi family drum. The one that had helped him win the fight against Chozen. He picked it up and turned it over, then rolled it back and forth in his hands. As the drum beat increased, he closed his eyes. Then, abruptly, he stopped. In the silence, he breathed. He could almost feel Mr. Miyagi standing at his shoulder. He didn’t want to open his eyes and not see him. But he had to. 

When he opened his eyes, however, he was greeted with a sight. There, just outside the door, was a bonsai that Daniel could have sworn had not been there when he came in. He walked over to it. It looked almost exactly like the tree on the Miyagi-do logo. He glanced around, then down at the bonsai.

“To little trees,” he said, softly, as he picked it up. “And to you, Mr. Miyagi. Guiding me even now.” He stepped to the edge of the dojo, turned and--still holding the tree—bowed. Then he left. He went straight to the cemetery, where he planted that bonsai at the grave of Mr. Miyagi. 

Then he went home. Still grieving but having chosen one side of the road. 

 

End

**Author's Note:**

> I have not seen every episode of Cobra Kai (most, but not all) so if I missed a detail or got something wrong (or the tags need to be changed or added to) please let me know.


End file.
